Hay's Way: Spotting four out of Jura's 'big five'
Jura’s terrain and weather may be a challenge at times, but its always worth it when faced with the island’s wildlife.
A slick black head appeared where the waves broke against the shore. It was too small and sharply defined to be a seal, and the water was far too shallow for such a blubbery creature. Unless, of course, it was a pup.
Then it began to dart through the white water, moving with surprising speed.
I was standing face to face with an otter.
A resident of Jura, these elusive mammals are perhaps one of the more challenging to find. I was lucky enough to see it while waiting for the seaside horsebox sauna to heat up, a task I had volunteered for. Having laid the fire badly, I had a long wait ahead of me for the box to warm up. As it turned out, my rusty fire-lighting skills were a blessing.
I was contemplating a dip in the sea when the otter bounced out of the water and onto the shore. It hopped across the sand before nose diving into the fine grains and rolling about, giving itself what looked like a thorough exfoliation. I let out an impromptu laugh, nervous for a moment I’d disturb it, but then it continued to move so playfully. I was alone at the sauna, but I found myself looking around to see if anyone could share the magical encounter.
I spotted a couple in a camper a bit further up the beach. I upped and sprinted, like a child running to a favourite swing. Keeping quiet until I reached the vehicle, I explained what I had seen. The pair appeared at the door immediately.
‘Oh wow, where?’ one of them said in a strained whisper, finding it hard to contain their excitement.
The three of us tiptoed a bit closer to the otter, watching its early-evening frolic before it slipped into a nearby freshwater stream.
“We’ve been to Mull and other islands trying to find one and hadn’t seen any until now,” the other visitor told me.
The encounter felt largely down to luck. The word elusive is so often attached to otters for good reason. Finding one in the wild can take considerable patience.
Otters are one of Jura’s big five, a new ‘mission’ developed by one of the estates - Inver - for paying guests to aim to complete when visiting the island.
The other species include the adder, eagle - both golden and sea eagle, red deer and a dolphin.
I have been lucky enough to see four so far.
While marching directly up the highest Pap on Jura - Beinn an Òir - my legs gave in for a break about halfway. Sinking into the prickly heather, I lay flat on my belly for a few minutes, head turned to one side breathing in the earthy scent of the land. A little rustling prompted me to open my eyes and right next to me was another creature on its belly: an adder.
On another occasion, a rest on Jura’s bog-ridden slopes brought an eagle spectacle as three pairs of sea eagles circled above me, seemingly waiting for a stalker to dispose of the gralloch — the innards of a deer — on the hillside below. A few days later, a pair of golden eagles, while a more shy species compared to the bigger white tails, flapped about above tree tops as I walked by one of the island’s scarce scattering of woodlands.
Red deer are by far the easiest of the Big Five to find. They can sometimes be seen wandering around populated areas on Jura’s eastern side, on lower ground and near the village. But there is a greater sense of reward in encountering them farther west, among the hills and ridges, where the terrain makes every sighting feel earned.
The red deer is by far the easier one of the list to see. While it is possible to see them wandering around the populated areas on the east of the island, on the lower ground and around the village, the reward of seeing someone when venturing further into the hills and ridges to the west make the sight a well earned one.
There is of course a plethora of wildlife to enjoy on top of the big five. While walking through lower boggy marsh areas of the island, several pairs of hen harriers bombed about among the tussocky ground.
The terrain and weather on Jura may be unforgiving at times when walking the island, but the encounters with wildlife make it all the more worth it.
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